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Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, January 30, 1996 -- 9 -- VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland LETTERS TO EDITOR GOOD LUCK, BRUCE You have to admire Bruce Langmaid. In case you may not be familiar with the name, Bruce is a musher, a dog sled racer. For the past couple of weeks, the Scugog resident has been training in Wyoming to get ready for a big race early in February called" the International Stage Coach Stop that will last ten days and take him-across some 700 km of high country in that magnificent part of the North American continent. (THere is an article on this training elsewhere in the Citizen this week) It's a prestigious race attracting the top mushers from Canada and the United States, and Bruce is proud to represent not just his country and province but this community as well. He left for the Wyoming to spend a couple 'of weeks in training prior to the race to make sure he and his team of beloved Huskies are well climatized to: the dizzy altitudes of 9,000 feet and higher. Bruce has earned himself a reputation in Ontario for winning sled dog races, but I think it's fair to say that the Stage Stop event is his biggest challenge as a musher. To say that he is totally dedicated to this demanding sport would be something of an understatement. His training routine in Wyoming consists of three days and nights on trail. For those three nights, he bunks down in the back of his truck to be with the dogs and to save a bit of money. He has had some financial help locally, but for the most part, he's footing the bills for this race »out of his own pocket. I have known Bruce for the last three years or so and through him, have learned something about this fascinating sport of sled dog racing. ~ Both the team and musher must be in the absolute peak of physical condition. That's a given. Equally important is the ability of the musher and the dogs to work together as a unity in harmony. I know Bruce spends countless hours working with his dogs, from the day the weather turns cool in late autumn through until spring when the racing season ends. He has a lot of friends and fans in the Scugog area, and I join with them in wishing him best of luck in his up- coming race in Wyoming. We will try to keep you posted on Bruce's progress in' this race whi starts February 4 and finishes on Feb. 15. THOSE BAD OLD DAYS Remember just a few short years ago when communism collapsed in the Soviet Union and all over Eastern Europe where countries like Poland, Hungary and East Germany had been held in chains by their Russian masters since the end of World War 2? Remember the euphoria felt around the globe when that evil wall in Berlin was literally hacked#fown stone by stone by jubilant Berliners starving for personal freedoms? Ah, yes, the world re-joiced. The last spike was driven into the coffin of Lenin and the theories of Marx were shoved once and for all into the dust bin of history, proven in no uncertain terms to look very nice as paper, but totally unworkable in the real world. The Cold War between west and east was over, a new era of economic co- operation was ushered in; costly military alliances were quickly obsolete; the threat of nuclear war was over; the world would save countless trillions by NOT building new weapons (nuclear and otherwise) and that money would be used for schools, hospitals, day care centres and a host of other things for the betterment of all humankind in "every corner of the globe. Heady days those were. So, what the hell has happened? The former Soviet Union is a virtual basket case teetering - on the brink of anarchy, if fot civil war. The United States is-so broke the government literally had to shut down for several weeks because there was no money to pay the bills. Every country on the face of the glgbé is battling with either runaway inflation or runaway debt. Here in Canada, the last few years of the 20th centiry have been anything but Wilfred Laurier imagined when he proudly proclaimed that this 100 years. AF would indeed belong to Canada. _ As for Ontario, the heart-and soul of the country that was to take the 20th century by storm, the well ran dry and the government is trying to top it up on the backs of thé poor, the unlucky, teachers, nurses, snow plow drivers, day care workers, doctors, cops and anyone else who draws a pay cheque in the public sector. Take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself honestly if you are better off today than you were five, ten or even 20 years ago. (Bank presidents excepted, of course) Is planet earth better off today than it was five, ten or even 20 years ago? Kind of makes you wonder what happened? Kind of makes you hanker for them bad old days when it was "us against the commies," when every house had an air-raid shelter and 30 days supply of dried food; and that evil wall snaked its way through the heart of Berlin. Bring back the Cold War and let the good times roll again. Tow truck operators To the Editor: You have been involved in an Goin or your trusty car has quit miles from anywhere. All ybu can see are tow trucks. Pushy drivers with greedy eyes are trying to persuade you to use their services, perhaps promising all sorts of things or warning you about other tower's charges. BEWARE! These operators are the wolves. Often your vehicle will end up in Toronto or even Barrie and the charges are outrageous. It is a legal offence for a tow truck to stop within 200 metres of an accident scene unless it is evident that help is required, other than towing. The law sets outa penalty for soliciting towing from an individual involved in an accident. Sadly our police detachments are under staffed and do not have time to charge all of these "chasers". If you do not have a towing company that you use or a road service that you can contact that covers the situation, wait until the officer arrives and ask him or her to contact their contracted. tower if the occurrence is on a Durham Regional patrolled road or a DRTA tow truck for occurrences on the Queen's roads. Recently a new association was formed by established tow companies ip@Durham Region who were on a ligf#fsed by the Ontario Provinei#iT Police, Whitby detachment, fort6w trucks needed at accident ,séenes, breakdowns and abandgnétl vehicles. The roads patrolled by Whitby O.P.P. are divided into zones and the tow companies in the association are dispatched on rotation in their respective zone. The Durham Region Towing Association * is regulated by the tow companies and has the approval of the Whitby detachment of the O.P.P. Equipment, skill, insurance .and deportment standards have been established. There is a fee schedule setting out top fees for specific services often required at an accident, breakdown or abandoned vehicle. Any complaints of overcharging or bad conduct by members are investigated and disciplinary actions will be taken if justified. : Under most circumstances you have a choice of destination for your vehicle. It is always advisable to speak to the driver before giving a drop off point because payment is required when a vehicle is dropped unless the drop point is the tower's pound. Receipts will be igsued for any payments made to the tow truck driver for reimbursement by your insurance company, should insurance be covering the aceident. We would suggest thatif you are having your vehicle dropped at a repair centre or ° collision repair place that you opt for a shop in Durham Region. There are highly skilled professionals in all areas of Durham who will do repairs accurately and with pride. They will purchase the #eeded parts from other Durham Region, businesses and this keeps the economical cycle turning right here at home. In conclusion, if you have a breakdown or are involved in an accident remember; 1. Call your own tow truck or auto club. 2. Don't automatically accept the first tow truck to badger or threaten you, whatever their speil. The chaser tow truck has no authority. 3. Wait for an O.P.P. officer or a DRP officer to call a DRTA or contracted truck. 4. Don't sign anything at the scene for the tow truck driver, except a call slip for your auto club. 5. Be aware that yow can usually have your vehicle dropped anywhere you wish. Speak to the driver. Know where your vehicle is being taken. 6. Please have a local Durham Region shop do the repairs on your vehicle. Yours truly Dorothy Fulford Brian's Towing Port Perry Straight talk and apathy To the Editor: When I was a young buck, talking it up with a tight circle of peers; an old gent shuffled over and touched me on the shoulder, and with what "I recognized to be a sad, look in his old eyes, he said: "Son . . won't understand you." Trouble is, I instinctively believed him: but that/birthed a life - does that do to human commiunication? if you are going to talk straight to people - they long quandary: What So, I up and conned the next six people out of roney. Funny thing: when I gave back the money - none wanted to believe the first story I told was a whopper. What I learned was: one must themselves be dishonest to grab onto a 'something - for - nothing - deal'. Integrity knows, that sort of generosity is likely a 99% con bait: packaged for would - be smart ones. Worse, "straight talk" is merely a bore to apathy; like the old gent said: fifty years ago. Tallyho Avian Ron Ward R.R.1, Janetville Job searcher still trying to stay hopeful To The Editor: On Monday, January 22nd, my day started out hopeful. I had a job interview. Hopeful, because I was very qualified for the position. The interview went very well and I left confident the job was mine, and was told that if I got the job, I would be working by Tuesday, January 23rd. A few hours later I received a call from my interviewers seeking references, my confidence builds. Within the hour I received yet anather call from my pushed ini) stating that because I am not in receipt of UIC, I'm not eligible for this position, I was qualified, but "not eligible. Now the reason Km upset and writing this letter 18 because I am currently in receipt of Social Assistance and am trying desperately to get out of this system, so out of frustration I seek answers from our government. My first call was to the OMBUDSMAN ONTARIO, where | was told that this was the Federal Government and my problem was a Provincial Government problem, and gave me a number to call. On chlling the Provincial Government, I was told my problem was a "Federal Government problem. When I teld-them I got their number from the Federal Government, they said I should call the Legal Clinic. Upon calling the Clinic, I got a recorded message stating they only take calls 1-2 hrs. per day (never the same 1-2 hrs.). I had to call 3 times to get all the hours down, because the message was so fast. Onto my next step: To call my"Member of Parliament, Alex Sheppard. I explained my situation to his secretary and was told "We'll get back to you." (I'm still waiting). The aroblem stems from the fact that at the top of the job description was a sentence that read: "Federal Government- section 25 Job Creation Program". This means that persons ONLY in receipt of ! UIC can get this job, people on ! Social Assistance cannot. I would like to know why job creations do not include Social Assistance in with UIC, and have the Federal Government and Provincial Government work together for a change. Basically, all I want to say is, that. being trapped in the - system is very frustrating. | have 5 years of Post Secondary education, I do not enjoy the humiliation of being on Social Assistance and am doing everything in my power to get a job. To be turned down for a position because I'm currently in receipt of the wrong Government Assistance is just ludicrous. Now to end my day, which started out hopeful, I received a call from Social Services stating that my assistance has been suspended, I have no money to pay my rent, and I still have no job. Trying to stay hopeful, S. Bell, Blackstock.